Boldy's hat trick lifts Wild past Blues 5-4

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Matt Boldy scored three goals and added an assist Thursday night as the Minnesota Wild defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-4 at Grand Casino Arena, extending their strong early-season start behind another dominant performance from their top offensive line.

Boldy recorded his fifth career hat trick, Kirill Kaprizov contributed a goal and two assists, and Joel Eriksson Ek collected two assists as Minnesota improved to 5-2-1. The Wild have won three of their last four games and have scored 18 goals during that stretch, with their leading forwards accounting for much of the production.

The victory was considerably closer than Minnesota would have preferred. The Wild carried a 5-2 lead into the third period before surrendering two late goals, including Dylan Holloway's score with 15 seconds remaining. St. Louis also received goals from Jonatan Berggren, Mason McTavish and Robert Thomas but fell to 3-3-1.

Boldy, who had gone scoreless through Minnesota's first four games, has scored five goals in his last four appearances. His emergence alongside Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek gives coach John Hynes an exceptionally productive first line at a time when injuries have depleted the Wild's roster.

Kaprizov continued his remarkable opening stretch with his ninth goal of the season, adding two assists to extend his scoring streak to five games. He has produced six goals and five assists during that streak and has become the first player in franchise history to record 50 career games with at least three points.

Minnesota's other major offensive contributor, defenseman Quinn Hughes, recorded two assists and established a franchise record by collecting at least one point in each of his first eight games of the season. His eight-game season-opening assist streak also tied Filip Kuba for the second-longest such streak by an NHL defenseman, trailing John-Michael Liles' nine-game run in 2010-11.

The Blues struck first when Berggren scored on the power play just 1:45 into the opening period. Boldy answered at 7:31, converting a two-man advantage with a one-timer from the high slot. Danila Yurov gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead at 11:17, finishing a rush with Maxim Shabanov and Yakov Trenin.

McTavish tied the game at 4:57 of the second period, but the Wild responded almost immediately. Boldy scored his second goal just 27 seconds later, beating St. Louis goaltender Joel Hofer from the right circle after taking a pass from Eriksson Ek.

Kaprizov extended Minnesota's advantage to 4-2 at 8:47, redirecting a Hughes pass into the net for his league-leading ninth goal. Boldy completed his hat trick at 16:47, converting a pass from Kaprizov to give the Wild a three-goal lead entering the final period.

The Blues refused to disappear. Thomas scored shorthanded with four minutes remaining, and Holloway made it a one-goal game with 15 seconds left. Minnesota survived the closing seconds to secure two important Central Division standings points.

Jesper Wallstedt finished with 21 saves for Minnesota, which outshot St. Louis 38-25. Hofer stopped 33 shots for the Blues, who had entered the game with points in three consecutive contests.

The victory also included a late injury concern involving Kaprizov, who went to the dressing room after being checked into the boards by Hofer. Kaprizov initially remained in the game following the collision before leaving later in the third period. Hynes indicated afterward that Kaprizov was OK, although his availability for Sunday's game against Columbus will remain worth watching.

Minnesota played without several regulars, including defensemen Brock Faber and Jared Spurgeon. Faber remains sidelined following surgery for a fractured skull sustained during the preseason, while Spurgeon has been dealing with an upper-body injury. Forward Nico Sturm also has been unavailable after being struck by a puck during Monday's victory over Vegas.

The injuries have increased the importance of Minnesota's established stars, particularly Kaprizov, Boldy and Hughes. Their production has helped the Wild maintain a winning record despite significant lineup changes and an early schedule featuring several demanding opponents.

Boldy's performance Thursday also reinforced the importance of having multiple elite scoring threats. Kaprizov had carried much of Minnesota's offense during the opening week, including a hat trick against Florida and both Wild goals in Tuesday's 5-2 loss at Winnipeg. Boldy's three-goal performance against St. Louis demonstrated that Minnesota can generate substantial offense without relying exclusively on Kaprizov to finish its scoring opportunities.

The Wild return to action Sunday against Columbus before beginning a five-game road trip Tuesday at Edmonton. That stretch includes games against Calgary, Seattle, Vancouver and Utah, providing an early test of Minnesota's depth, defensive consistency and ability to sustain its offensive production away from home.

Through eight games, the Wild have collected 11 of a possible 16 standings points. Their offensive stars are producing at an exceptional rate, but Thursday's late defensive breakdown served as another reminder that protecting leads remains an important part of developing into a legitimate Central Division contender.

Wild upcoming schedule

All times Central.

Minnesota's next home game against Columbus concludes a two-game homestand. The subsequent five-game western trip includes back-to-back games at Seattle and Vancouver before the Wild return home to face the Islanders on Oct. 29.